Ladder-bracket.



W. WALKER.

`LADDER BRACKET.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 1, 1911.

Patented NOV. 19, 1912.

WILL WALKER, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF IO WILLIAM J. STRAYER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.. 19, 1912.

Application le July 1, 1911. Serial No. 636,336.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILL WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memfphis, in the county of Shelby, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladder-Brackets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in brackets and more especially to brackets adapted to be detachably v`secured upon ladders and when so secured to co-act with one of the rungs of the ladder to form a platform for the person using the same and the object of my invention is to improve the construction and increase the efficiency of brackets of the above described character.

A further object of my invention is to provide a bracket which may be employed upon the customary form of extension ladder and which is so constructed as to permit of the moving and adjusting of the ladder while the bracket is still in place.

A further object of my invention is to provide a bracket of the above described type which may be readily changed from one part of the ladder to another by the person standing upon the ladder, but one hand being required in the operation. And a still further object of my invention is to provide a bracket having supporting means for paint pails, tools and the like.

With these and other objects in view my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my bracket and then specifically pointed out in the claim which is attached to and forms a part of this application.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of a ladder showing my bracket in operation. Fig. 2 is a section through the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring more specically to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, 1

designates the body member of my improved device which as shown, consists of a bar preferably formed of wood and having a strip of metal 2 secured by bolts or other preferred means 3 on one end, said metal strip extending beyond the end of the bar and being bent over the same and back upon itself to form a hook l adapted to engage with one of the rungs 5 of a ladder conventionally shown as 6.

Secured by bolts 7 to the other end of the bar 1 is a second strip of metal 8 the lower end of which is bent under the end of the bar to form a lateral extension 9, said strips 8-9 forming an angle brace upon which is bolted a transversely extending platform 10, the rear edge of which is preferably recessed as at ll to lit about the lower end of the bar 1. Securely bolted to the lower face of this platform adjacent each end are the metal strips 12 each one of which is bent upwardly over the forward edge of the platform and then outwardly and downwardly to form a U-shaped hook 13, said hooks being adapted to engage over one of the lower rungs of the ladder and it will be readily seen that these hooks together with the hook 4 firmly support the bar 1 and its platform upon the ladder. As best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the hooks 13 are so formed and proportioned that the upper face of the platform 10 is on a level with the upper face of the rung with which these hooks engage with its forward face adjacent thereto by which means the rung and platform co-act with each other to form a practically continuous support for the feet of the person employing the device. By this means the physical discomfort ordinarily caused by standing with the feet upon the rung of the latter is avoided.

Secured upon the rear face of the bar 1 intermediate its length is a transversely extending box or tray 14 adapted to hold putty, brushes or other articles while secured to the rear face of the bar at a point slightly below this tray is a transversely extending bar of metal 15 the free ends of which are bent to form downwardly depending hooks 16 adapted to receive the bails of paint pails and the like. As best shown in Fig. l this member 15 is preferably so proportioned that the hooks are positioned one upon each side of the ladder so that the pail supported thereby may be readily reached by a person standing upon the platform.

In the use of my improved bracket, when the painter or operator has finished the work capable of being reached by one adjustment of the bracket on the rungs of the ladder, it is only necessary to step up or down the desired number of rungs and while holding to the side of the ladder with one hand to reach through the ladder with the other hand and to grasp the upright or bar l and by upward displacement thereof release the hooks fromV the rungs owing to the rigid connection of the upright with t-he platform or foot board lO and permit convenient engagement of the bracket at the desired point. I have described my bracket as applied to a ladder employed in painting and it will be understood that the bracket may be effectively employed in the picking of fruit, the hooks being there used to support a basket or other suitable receptacle for holding the picked fruit. It will also be understood that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

What is claimed is The combination with a ladder having spaced rungs; of a foot board having means at its forward edge for engaging a rung of the ladder, a single upright rigidly connected to the foot board centrally of its length and having means at its upper end for engaging another rung of the ladder, both of said engaging means being adapted to be simultaneously upwardly displaced and disengaged from the rungs and a cross bar connected to the upright and provided with terminal hooks for supporting articles in convenient relation to an occupant of the foot board.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa- Y ture, in presence of two witnesses.

WILL WALKER.

Witnesses:

A. L. BOYLE, E. B. DYE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingv the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. i 

